


Harsh Honesty

by AlexTheShipper



Series: A Lifetime Worth of Anger [2]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angry Klaus, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Good Brother Ben Hargreeves, Good Brother Diego Hargreeves, Good Brother Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy), Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Talk of murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2020-12-21 14:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21076739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexTheShipper/pseuds/AlexTheShipper
Summary: Klaus has spent a long time hiding his emotions behind a mask of carelessness, but a part of him is bitter and angry, and since traveling back in time his mask has been slipping. His family seems ready to do better, but he's not sure they know how.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I want to reiterate that I do love all the characters, but I think that there's a lot of room for anger due to the way they treat eachother and their history of abuse and this fic is exploring Klaus' anger and how it effects his relationship with his siblings.

“What is wrong with you?” Allison hisses, and he looks up confused. She shoves his shoulder. “What did you say to her?” Oh, right. Vanya.

“I’m afraid that’s a private matter.” He replies, offering her a winning smile. Allison looks like she wants to scream at him, but instead her adorable little thirteen-year-old face comes even closer.

“We are back here to prevent the apocalypse, and we’re going to do that by being a goddamn family you don’t fuck this up for us Klaus.” She hisses, and he can’t help it, he bursts out laughing. “What?” She asks, demands really. He can’t answer tears running down his cheeks as he cracks up. “What?” She asks again, sounding more lost than angry now.

“It’s just.” He giggles to himself. “The idea of us, as a family. I mean you and Luther wanna fuck so already that’s one strike against us.” She looks outraged at that comment but he’s already descending into a fit of giggles. “I don’t think any of us even know what family means.” He says, rather truthfully.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asks, and he stops laughing, abruptly going skill as he looks into her eyes.

“It’s okay if you don’t understand Allie, you’ve never tried before.” He pats her on the cheek softly and then stands up yanking the window open with an ease that speaks of years of practice. 

“Klaus, Klaus! What the fuck is that supposed to mean!” She hisses after him, but he doesn’t have to stay here and answer her questions so he won’t.

“Ta-ta sister.” He waves at her over his shoulder and then he’s slipping out the window and disappearing into the night. He’s not sure what the plan is, he doesn’t really want to get high, but he also doesn’t want to stay in the mansion working on being a family with a bunch of assholes who couldn’t be bothered to give a damn about him.

He’s thirteen, and too baby faced to make a believable 15 year old, let alone adult which means that if he doesn’t find a way out of town eventually a cop will deposit him right back on Reginald’s door step, but he’s spent long enough on the streets to be able to make it at least a few weeks without getting noticed.

Of course, that didn’t account for Ben, alive, and able to speak to Diego.

“Klaus.” Ben’s voice wakes him up, and he looks up from his spot, tucked behind the dumpster.

“Yes, oh brother dear?” He asks, waving blearily at him, and ignoring Diego hovering in the corner.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” He asks, and Klaus just shrugs. He hadn’t been thinking much of anything really. Ben slaps him on the side of the head. “Get up asshole, we’re taking you home.”

“Owwwww” Klaus whines, putting a hand against the side of his head and pouting at Ben. “You’re alive now you can’t just hit me.”

“Up Klaus, c’mon.” Diego says, and his impatience is truly charming. Klaus tilts his head back for a moment, considering.

“Nah, don’t think I want to.” He says, and before he can blink Diego has dragged him to his feet and started walking away, planning to pull Klaus along behind him. White hot rage spikes through him, and he rips his arm out of Diego’s grasp. “Stop fucking manhandling me, who do you think you are? Luther.” He spits, knowing that it will hurt. Diego flinches.

“Klaus, c’mon that’s not fair.” Ben says, attempting to placate him, and Klaus whirls on him.

“Why not?” He asks, and the question hangs there in the air between them. Diego looks devastated. Ben doesn’t have an answer. “Well? I’m waiting. Is it unfair because it took Diego a whole four extra years before he stopped taking my calls? Or let me guess, because he paid my bail one time, unlike the 0 times Luther has paid it.” 

“Klaus, you like Diego.” Ben points out, as if he needs reminding. It’s true, of all of his living siblings Diego was his favorite.

“Of course, the last living person to treat me at least a little decently.” He grumbles, with a bitterness that Diego would have never seen before. “Thank god for that condescending asshole, pushing me around and treating me like trash instead of treating me like the scum on the bottom of his shoe.”

“Klaus, I don’t think you’re tr-trash.” Diego says, and Klaus softens immediately at hearing the stutter. Knows how frustrated Diego get’s when his own body works against him.

“I didn’t say you thought I was trash, I said you treated me like trash.” Klaus says, brushing the dust off his pants. “I know you care about me Diego, that’s why I liked you better than the others.” He starts walking, knowing they’ll follow him.

“I’m sorry about the manhandling.” Diego mutters, but Klaus has already recaptured his anger. Shoved all of the rage back down where it can’t hurt anyone else.

“Don’t worry about it.” He shoots Diego a wide smile. “You just gotta show off that you’re still buff even in that tiny body.” Ben stares at him, and he wonders if he’ll get away with just deflecting again.

“I’ll have you know mini me has already intensified my work out routine, this body is in top shape.” Diego defends, latching onto the teasing tone with both hands.

“Sure, sure, but that doesn’t make you any less short.” Klaus shoot’s back, and then he’s running, Diego hot on his heels and laughter bubbling out of his chest. Ben follows them more sedately, but he can’t help the smile that tugs at his lips. He laughs when Diego tackles Klaus into a patch of grass next to the road, knowing full well that Diego hooked his leg under Klaus’ knees just right to minimize their impact into the ground.

“That’s the difference.” Ben says, even though Klaus isn’t paying attention. Diego always minimizes the damage he does to the best of his ability. Eventually Diego jumps to his feet and helps Klaus up.

“So, can we go home now?” Diego asks, and Klaus shakes his head. “Why not?” Diego asks, his smile slipping away.

“It’s the 17th.” Klaus says, and Ben knows that date, it’s the only other time Klaus had made ghost’s corporeal, April 17th when they were 13 years old. Diego looks between them, taking in Ben’s stricken expression and Klaus’ carefully carefree smile.

“Okay? What about the seventeenth?” Diego asks, and a part of Klaus, a small part locked deep inside, is screaming. Don’t you know? Didn’t you notice? Don’t you care?

“I meant what I told Allison, y’know.” He says instead. “We were never raised to be a family. I don’t think we know how.” He slips into an alley just as a car pulls up next to them, Ben following behind automatically.

“Hey kid, what are you doing out here so late?” A cop, one Klaus doesn’t recognize. He slips away before Diego can talk his way out of the situation. Ben hot on his heels.

“Klaus that was cruel.” Ben scolds, voice as familiar as the streets. Klaus just keeps walking, heading for the dumpster behind the boutique bakery, it’s always clear in the evenings. “Klaus, what is up with you man?”

“You know what’s up Ben.” He hisses, whirling around. “I’m not going back there.” He can’t help the way his hands tremble. “I’m not going back to that place Ben.”

“Okay, so we talk to the others.” Ben says, and he sounds like he’s talking to a particularly obstinate five-year-old. “We keep you out of that place.” Klaus doesn’t believe him.

“How? Do I have to tell them everything? They never even noticed, what makes you think they’ll care?” He asks, refusing to admit he’s more scared than he is angry. Ben knows though, can see it in the wild look behind his eyes, and the way his knees struggle to hold him up.

“Fine, forget about them, trust me.” Ben says, and Klaus does, after everything, of course he trusts Ben. “I won’t let him put you back in that place.”

“What are you gonna do Benny, kill the old man?” Klaus asks, and he’s only joking a little bit. Ben looks him in the eyes.

“If I have to.” Ben says, with more confidence than Klaus has ever had in his life. He let’s Ben lead him back home, following behind his brother like a shadow. A part of him marveling over how their roles have changed.

“Stay?” He asks, when they’ve both slipped through the window into his room. Ben pauses in the doorway.

“Can we try to talk to the others?” Ben asks. “I think they’ll help.” Klaus hates the idea of it, a family meeting to talk about all the things that fucked him up.

“Just Diego first?” He asks, and Ben nods, a smile splitting his face. The choice is taken out of their hands when Luther slams the door open, angry eyes landing on Klaus where he sits huddled by the bed.

“Allison’s mad at you.” He says, and it’s clear he doesn’t know why, but it also doesn’t matter. “What’d you do?” Klaus shrugs and Luther is coming into the room like he has a right to it.

“Get out.” Klaus says, voice quiet and steady. Luther pauses, taking another step forward and closing the door behind him with a pointed glance. “I said get out of my room Luther.” Klaus says, waving at the door. “It’s that way, if you needed help.”

“Can you get Diego?” Ben asks, and Luther glances at him like he hadn’t noticed him before. “Please,” Ben gestures to the door.

“What so Diego’s welcome to your little party, but not me?” He asks, and now he sounds hurt which is the opposite of what Klaus wanted.

“Well, you may be the prettiest of us all, but Diego just has such a sparkling personality.” Klaus says, waving his hand in the air as if searching for words. “He’s, oh what’s the word for it Ben?” He taps his hand against his chin for dramatic effect, and then looks directly into Luther’s eyes. “Oh yeah, nice, he’s nice to me.” He says in a voice that makes it perfectly clear that Luther has never been.

“I’m nice.” Luther defends and Klaus snorts a laugh.

“That’s rich buddy, tell that to my throat after you choked me out what was it like three days ago ignoring the time travel nonsense?” He looked at Ben, who’s gaping at him like he doesn’t recognize him. “Yep, also threw me across the room, so excuse me if I’d like you to leave before you decide it’s okay to use your super strength to hurt me again.” He waves cheerily at a shocked Luther.

“Klaus, I, I’m sorry.” Luther says, and Klaus never really expected to hear it. He nods.

“That’s nice. I’d like to talk to Diego now.” He waves towards the door, and Luther ducks his head and disappears.

“Klaus, you don’t have to be such a dick.” Ben says, and Klaus looks at him an eyebrow raised as if to ask if Ben was really one to speak. “Hey, I died I’m allowed to be bitter for a few years.”

“I’m tired Ben. I’m not doing this again, so your options are I bail and get outta the city, or you let me be honest as fuck with our siblings.” He shrugs one shoulder, not really caring what Ben picks. “Dave wouldn’t like to see me being the family punching bag.” He whispers barely audible.

“Hey, Luther said you wanted to see me?” Diego asks from the doorway. “Looked like somebody kicked his puppy what did you say to him?” Klaus snorts a laugh at the idea of Luther taking care of a puppy.

“Just told him I didn’t want him in my room cause he choked me and threw me across the room a few days ago.” Klaus shrugs. He notices the way Ben buries his face in his hands out of the corner of his eye.

“He what?” Diego asks, and he’s almost perfectly still a knife seeming to materialize in his hand. Klaus looked at him as if to say, you heard me. “That asshole.” Diego hisses.

“Sit down dude, I wanted to talk to you.” Klaus gestures to the chair by the bed. Diego sits, knife still in hand. “If you’re going to stab anyone it shouldn’t be Luther.”

“Who else would I stab?” Diego asks. Klaus glances at Ben, and then they speak at the same time.

“Reginald.” They say, and Diego nods agreeably. “Right bastard, Reggie is and I need a protection detail brother dear.” He says, and even that is more than he’s willing to admit.

“What do you mean?” Diego asks, and all the words in the world don’t feel like enough to explain what exactly Klaus needs.

“Something bad happened to me, tonight the first time around.” Klaus admits, not looking at either of his brothers. “I came home bleeding and bruised, and broken and none of you noticed.” He blinks at the ceiling and closes his mouth his teeth coming together with an audible crack, before he can say that no one cared.

“What’d he do?” Diego asks, and Klaus doesn’t know if he wants to laugh or cry.

“Same thing he always has, locked me in a fucking mausoleum full of angry screaming ghosts bleeding out of their eyes and trying to tear me apart.” Klaus says, and a laugh slips past his lips, just edging into hysterical. “I did something though, made them real. It hurt so bad Di.” Diego is staring at him with all the protective fury Klaus has seen over the years.

“I didn’t know.” Diego whispers. “How could he do that to you?” He slams a fist into the table, both Klaus and Ben jump. “How didn’t I know?” Klaus shrugs.

“I always thought you did. Figured all of you knew, and just didn’t care.” He admits, and he’s not looking at Diego, doesn’t see the way his brother’s heart breaks.

“If I knew I would have killed the bastard to save you.” Diego promises, and Klaus believes him. He’s not sure why, but he believes him.

“Well, tonight’s your chance.” He shrugs. “I’m not going back there, not if I have to kill the old man myself.”

“We need to talk to the others.” Diego says, and Klaus can’t help but think Ben must be happy to have someone on his side. “Vanya next?” He asks, and Klaus sneers at the thought. “Or Five maybe?”

“Yeah, we could talk to Five. He could help.” Klaus shrugs. “I can still just leave, if I get far enough away they’ll put me in the foster system instead of bringing me back here.”

“You’re not running away Klaus.” Ben says, and Klaus shrugs, worth a try.


	2. Meanwhile Diego

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Chapter running parallel to Chapter one, the story of how Diego got home.

“We were never raised to be a family; I don’t think we know how.” Klaus says, and the raw honesty of the statement hit’s Diego like a freight train. He blinks, looks away and tries to figure out what to say. When he looks back Klaus and Ben have disappeared and he can hear a car door opening behind him.

“Hey kid, what are you doing out here so late?” It’s a police officer, vaguely familiar in that frustrating way that people sometimes are. He blinks startled.

“I just went f-for a walk.” He says, staring at this strangely familiar cop. “I can get myself home.” The cop smiles at him.

“Well kid, it’s a little late for you to be roaming the streets on your own, do you mind if I take you home?” The cop asks, and Diego is about to refuse, the words right on the tip of his tongue. “I’m detective Patch, and I’ve got a daughter around your age, just wouldn’t feel right leaving you out here.

“Thank you, Sir.” He says, before he can think to say anything else. This is Eudora’s dad, the man who inspired her to become a cop.

“Where do you live kid?” Officer Patch asks, and Diego freezes for a moment, stops breathing as he tries to think. Officer Patch looks at him, that same look that Eudora gave him whenever he mentioned the fact that he has a number instead of a name, or the fact that they weren’t allowed to speak during breakfast.

“I live on oak street.” He blurts, which isn’t exactly true, but it’s close enough.

“Son, if you don’t want to go home for any reason you can tell me.” Officer Patch offers, and in the first timeline Diego thinks he might have. “I can protect you.” Diego smiles at him sadly.

“My father is Reginald Hargreeves, no one can protect me.” He says, and glances out the window. He doesn’t see the look of shock on Officer Patch’s face, doesn’t see the way it settles into a look of grim determination. “You can drop me off at The Umbrella Academy Sir.”

They drive in silence, and Diego wonders what would have happened the first time if he’d met an officer like Patch. He wonders if maybe they could have been saved. He wonders if all the money in the world would stop Reginald Hargreeves from being crucified in the media, and in the courts. He wonders.

“Someone should.” Patch says, voice so quiet he can barely hear it. The car rolls to a stop. “If you ever need anything kid, come to the station and ask for Patch.” The radio cackles to life, and Diego slides out of the car.

“Thank you, Sir. It was nice meeting you.” He means it. It’s nice to see Patch’s hero. He understands now why she loved her dad, in a way he didn’t before. He closes the door behind him, and walks into the Academy.


	3. Good Brother Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five : "Do you want me to kill him for you, because I will totally kill that guy for you."

Diego left to get Five a couple minutes ago, so Klaus is expecting a flash of blue light and a sarcastic comment at any moment now, he isn’t expecting a knock on the door.

“I’m naked!” He shouts, because he can’t help himself. Five opens the door anyways, rolling his eyes.

“Nothing we haven’t seen, seeing as you never learned how to close the bathroom door when you bathe.” Five points out, and it’s a fair enough point. Still makes Klaus wonder why the little bastard bothered to knock, but he’s not going to question it.

“Hi Five.” Ben says, and Klaus is mildly amused by how happy Ben is to be heard these days.

“Hi Ben, what exactly am I doing here?” Five turns his question towards Klaus, after offering a friendly wave to Ben. “And why is Diego in the hallway acting like a guard dog.”

“Well,” Klaus draws out the word for as long as possible, trying to figure out how to explain himself. “Ben won’t let me skip town, so Diego’s my protection detail.” He says, which sums it up quite nicely if you ask him. Of course, no one asked him.

“Protection from what?” Five asks, and Klaus shrugs.

“Reginald, Luther, my own powers, all of the above, fuck if I know.” He says, and its only kind of a lie. Five stares at him as if he were a particularly complex equation that Five needed to solve.

“Start at the beginning.” Five decides, and sit’s down, clearly ready to listen. It’s more than Klaus ever expected from his littlest older brother. It’s more than Klaus expected from everyone.

“Well, 13 years ago, but also 27 years ago, but also 28 years ago, give or take two months, a bunch of women spontaneously gave birth to super powered children.” Klaus starts, mostly to see if Five is actually willing to listen to him, or if he needs to get to the point.

“Sure.” Five says, more agreeable than Klaus could ever expect. So, Klaus continues.

“Seven of those children were adopted by a rich evil psychopath.” Klaus says, and he can see Ben nodding out of the corner of his eye. “One of them, would be called Klaus, and he see’s the mangled rotting corpses of people who linger around town.” Five blinks slightly, being told more about Klaus’ power in one sentence then he ever had before.

“Oh.” He whispers, and Klaus can’t help but think for a genius Five was pretty dumb.

“Sir Reginald Hargreeves, the douchecanoe that he is, and was, decided that Klaus needed to get over his fear through exposure therapy, and so chose to lock the child in a mausoleum, filled to the brim with mangled rotting ghosts.” Klaus continues, and he see’s the way Five’s hands curl into fists. “These ghosts all wanted to kill the boy, rip him limb from limb, and one-night Klaus’ powers got away from him, and the evil ghosties got a chance.”

“When?” Five asks, and Klaus looks at the clock hanging over his bookcase.

“Two hours from now.” He says, and suddenly Five is a flurry of movement, pen in hand as he scribbles equations on the walls.

“Told you so.” Ben says, and Klaus has to admit he kind of did. Evidence is beginning to suggest that Klaus’ siblings might, care about him.

“We have three options.” Five decides, turning back around. “Well we have 327 options, but I’ve narrowed it down to the best three.”

“Let’s hear them.” Klaus says, and he feels almost excited.

“Option 1, we kill, or otherwise incapacitate Reginald.” Five says, gesturing to a bunch of math that means nothing to Klaus.

“Sounds good.” Klaus says.

“Option 2, we get you out of the mausoleum, or out of the house so you can’t be put in the mausoleum.” He offers, and Ben shakes his head.

“He won’t come back.” Ben says, and Five frowns, glancing over his math and changing a few things.

“Option 2.5, we all run away.” Five says, as if Luther would come with them. A part of Klaus wonders if maybe he would, if only to stay with Allison. “Option 3, we dampen your powers.”

“No, I’m sober, I’m staying that way.” Klaus says, even though something inside of him still sings for the oblivion that only drugs can provide.

“So, we have two choices, and multiple potential methods.” Five says, and it’s clear he’s leaning towards option 1. “If it comes down to it, I will kill him for you.” There’s a conviction in his voice that takes root in Klaus, somewhere deep inside him. Those words make him believe that maybe, just maybe, they could learn how to be a family.

“Aw, you’re just a softy at heart.” Klaus teases, because he doesn’t know how to say thank you. Five understands, the glare he shoots at Klaus’ is significantly less venomous than it should be.

“And you’re an idiot.” He says, because he’s Five and he has to. Ben rolls his eyes, knowing that they’re both idiots.


End file.
